Geriatrics

The Geriatric assessment unit (GAU) of St.Mary’s Hospital Center is an active in-patient ward that focuses on providing acute health care services designed to meet the physical, functional, emotional, social, environmental and spiritual needs of the elderly. The GAU service promotes the optimal level of functional autonomy and well-being of the older individual through an interdisciplinary team approach. GAU trains resident physicians, medical, nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, social work & dietetics students in the most effective care of the elderly and offers our patients the highest level of safe clinical care.

Mandate

The goal of GAU is to assist older individuals to become as independent as possible in order to return to the community. This is accomplished by developing an individualized program of care with goals and discharge planning. We ensure the continuity of care through patient, family and community involvement. The GAU service strives to maintain the patient’s sense of dignity and supports their fundamental rights.

Since the establishment of a multidisciplinary team in Geriatrics in 1980 and the creation of a Geriatrics Program, St. Mary’s Hospital has been able to distinguish itself in this field.

The program is composed mainly of a geriatric evaluation unit for the hospitalized patients, an ambulatory clinic as well as a PALV (Patients with loss of autonomy) team.

Although the program’s main priority is to provide holistic care, the geriatric team works in close collaboration with the community organizations in order to maximize patient health and quality of life.

The Geriatric Program at St. Mary’s Hospital has been one of the first to implant Program 68 in Montreal. In the framework of the action plan of the PALV, it is foreseen that the CSSS quickly take over the orientation process of the patients with loss of autonomy who are hospitalized and whose return home is compromised.

Once the patient’s medical and overall condition is stable, the workers of the CSSS of the patient’s territory will complete the patient’s needs assessment thus quickly deciding the appropriate orientation. The workers of the CSSS have access to the evaluation beds in the community and can determine, with the patient and their family, the best choice of orientation.

Although the CLSC remain our principal partners within our healthcare system, the interdisciplinary team of the Geriatric Program works closely with other public and private organisms and community volunteers.

In a context where the support of the community constitutes one of the main objectives of our program, we count on community support to expand the support network essential to the well-being of the elderly.